Sewing Regency Fashion Part 3

Hi everyone, I'm Shari Fuller from Thimbles and Acorns. Before we get started on these next two tutorials, I'd like to talk to you a bit about slow stitching. Watch the video for a full overview. Be sure to get the download supplement found in the Sewing With Cinnamon Bonuses section. You'll find several outlines for the whitework embroidery as well as a few step by asset stitching tutorials.

 

 

(Or read through this post) Slow stitching is basically a revival of the art of hand stitching. The idea is to enjoy the slow and methodical process of creating something with a needle and thread whereby you step back from the chaotic world around you to allow yourself to think, meditate, or pray as part of the process. It's not so much about getting the job done, but about the meaning the task brings to you. Slow stitching is usually a small compact project that uses basic tools and supplies that you can take with you to work on just about anywhere you want to go. It can be creating quilt squares, mending clothes, creating small works of art, or embellishing doll clothes as we will be doing here.

I bring this up because the next two tutorials are slow stitching type projects and they are going to be more enjoyable for you if you are ready to slow down and embrace the process. In the Regency Era, slow stitching was simply a part of a woman's day to day life and I hope these projects will give you a more intimate insight to what Regency fashion entailed.

Now, on to white work embroidery! White work can trace its beginnings back to Ancient India, China, and Medieval Europe, and when the simple white dresses that hallmarked the Regency Era became the height of fashion, so did white work
embroidery. White work added beauty and interest to the otherwise plain dresses without overpowering them.

Before we begin, let's prepare our fabric. The skirting for my dress, Keepers Dolly Duds Tea With The Governess, is made in three sections and for the design I am doing, these sections need to be stitched first, but I also need to leave a little extra fabric around the outside of the skirting so it will sit well in the embroidery hoop.

To do this, I traced each pattern piece onto the fabric along the cutting lines and then I cut out the pieces about 2” from the marked lines on the Waistline and Hem edges. Then, I cut along each side edge and finished the seam allowances. Then, I pinned them right sides together, being careful to align the cutting lines along the top and bottom edges. Stitched and pressed the seam allowances open. With that, my skirting was ready to embroider.

Transfer your design to your project using your preferred method. Because my fabric is pretty sheer, I was able to hold it up to a window and trace the designs with a fabric marker. You could also use a light box tracing pad Here's a link to one on Amazon.

The first stitch is called the Van Dyke stitch. Anthony Van Dyck, a Flemish painter, immortalized what would become known as the van Dyck beard in his paintings of England's Charles I in the early 1600s and the V shape in this stitch that echoed the shape of the van Dyck beard was the inspiration for the name of this stitch.

The Van Dyke stitch can vary in width and shape, but has a very distinct raised braid that forms down the center as the stitch is worked. It has many applications, but I particularly like it for making leaves.

• To start the stitch, bring the needle out at position 1 on the left side of your design and then insert your needle at position 2 on the right side and come back out at position 3.
• Insert the needle at position 4 on the left side of your design.
• Now here is where it gets fun. Come back out at position 5 on the left side of your design and then pass our needle under the pair of crossed stitches above. Be careful not to catch the fabric underneath or any other stitches besides the pair above. Draw the floss down in the direction you want your braid to run.
• To continue the stitch, insert your needle at position 6 on the right side of the design and bring the needle out at position 7 below the previous stitch on the left side.
• Continue this sequence of stitches to fill you design.

The next stitch is a simple variation of the buttonhole stitch. It is basically a satin stitch with a narrow ridge on one side that works great for outlining a design edge.

• To start this stitch, bring your needle out at position 1 on the top left side of your design. Then insert your needle into position 2 right next to position 1 and bring it back out directly underneath at the bottom edge of your design at position 3.
• Before drawing the floss all the way through, catch the loop at the top to form a small purl.
• Make the next stitch by inserting your needle into position 4 right next to the previous stitch and bring it back out directly underneath at the bottom edge at position 5.
• Before drawing the floss all the way through, catch the loop at the top to form another small purl.
• Continue this sequence of stitches until your design is filled.

 

A couple things to keep in mind as you do your white work.

• Try to avoid long jump stitches between design sections as these threads are liable to show through the fabric and tie off your floss underneath your stitching to keep the tails hidden.
• You can use any stitch you prefer to fill in and outline the sections of your design. I used a basic chain stitch for the stems because I liked how it paired up with the Van Dyke stitch. For the tiny leaves along the stem. I used a lazy daisy stitch.
• For the petals of the flower I simply used straight stitches that fanned from a central point at the bottom of each petal. While I was working on the flowers, I thought the petals needed a little more … so I topped each one with a French Knot. If you need help with any of these stitches see our previous embroidery tutorial that we included on this post.

I hope you enjoy working on this part of the project as much as I am. In the next video, I will be finishing up this dress with Van Dyke points and I am going to show you a few different ways you can make them. See you then!

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